Improvement in electro-pneumatic actions for musical instruments



W. F. SCHMOELE & H. SCHMOELE, lr.-

Electro-Pneumatic Actions for Musical lInstruments.

No. 145,532, Patented Dec.16,1873.

am@ y jfyJ/g UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIGE.

VILLIAM F. SGHMOELE AND HENRY SOHMOELE, JR., OF IITILADELPHIA, PA.,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD THEIR RIGHT TO CHARLES SOIIMOELE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRO-FNEUMATIC ACTIONS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,532, dated December1G, 1873; application filed March 7, 1873.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. Soi-IMOELE andHENRY SCHMOELE, Jr., of Philadelphia, lennsylvania, have invented anelectro-pneumatic action for operating the pallets, slides, andpedal-pallets in organs, the keys and pedals in pianos, and the beaterin drums, of which the following is a specification:

Our invention consists in the use of windpockets connected with andoperated by an electric action, constructed and arranged as hereinafterdescribed.

The magnet m is connected with its appropriate reader on the readingapparatus described in an application for a patent on a method andinstruments for reading and performing music by electricity,77 filedOctober l2, 1872, and also with the corresponding key on an electrickey-board, when this latter is inserted in the instrument for purposesof manual performance. The separate or adjunct reading-circuit describedin said application of October l2, 1872, is dispensed with when theelectro-pneumatic action is used, sufficient electricity for which canbe passed through the thinnest metallic film or n ote. The magnet m is,therefore, placed in the same circuit with its reader, and operates itsarmature c, fastened to the short arm of the lever ab, at whose oppositeend bis attached the screwthreaded wire bc. The primary pocket p1 iscomposed of a xed and a movable leaf, connected together by a fold orrib of kid or other soft leather. An opening, 0, in the fixed leafcommunicates with the groove ozj in the bottom board of the wind-chest,or in any conduit containing wind, which groove, at its other end,terminates in two openings, i audj, both in line with each other, theone, i, entering the chest, and the other', communicating with the openair. Through these two openings i and j passes the screw-threaded wirebc, which swings with a free motion upon the lever bc, and has upon ittwo small nuts, u and c. The upper nut, u, is in the wind-chest, and isadjusted upon the threaded wire cb, so as to close the opening 'i intothe chest when the lever ab is at rest. The lower nut, c, is in the openair,

and is adjusted. so as to close the lower opening when the magnet acts.Each nut has a piece of kid under it, in order to close the openingstight. Then the magnet acts, the opening t' into the chest is opened,and the lower opening,j, simultaneously closed, and the wind, enteringthe primary pocket, forces out its movable leaf. This leaf is attached,by the cord w, to the lever q of the valve s, which is thus opened whenthe wind enters the primary pocket. Attached to the valve s is ascrewthreaded wire, sdg, bearing the disk d, which, like the lower nut,o, on the wire cb, is so adjusted as to close the exit j2 when the valves is opened. A guide for this disk d is formed by passing the end g ofthe threaded wire sdg through the hole g in a piecey of metal bent inthe shape of a U, with the perforation made in the crook or bend of theU. The secondary pocket p2 is constructed exactly like the primary, buton a larger scale, and when the valve s opens, through the action of theprimary pocket, the disk d having simultaneously closed the exitj, thewind rushes into the secondary pocket, and forces out its movable leaf.This leaf is attached to whatever resistance, R, is to be workedto apallet or a slide in the organ, a key or a pedal in the piano, or to thebeater in the drum.

The position of the secondary pockets is immaterial, as the wind can becarried to them wherever they may be placed by lengthening out theirgrooves, thus leading the wind in any direction desired. In organs theyare best placed under the wind-chest, immediately beneath the palletsthey are to work, and upright on the sides of the chest when they areattached to the slides. In pianos they are located below the keys towhich they are attached, and are arranged in several rows or tiers, asthe width of the pockets exceeds that of the keys they work- The size ofthe pockets varies with the windpressure employed, decreasing as thelatter is increased.

Then the piano is built alone, a bellows and. reservoir must be placedbeneath, to supply the necessary wind. When attached to the organ, whichforms a very effective and beautiful combination; instrument, the samebellows posed to each other on ai serew-tln'eaded wire, substantially asset forth.

3. The small or primary pocket with diminutive wf'alve to control thelarge or secondary poeket-7 Whieh operates the pallet or otherresistance, substantially ns described and set forth.

WILLIAM FORD SGHMOELE. HEXRY SCHMOELE, JR. Witnesses:

H. SCHMOELE, M. D., CHARLES SCHMOELE.

